France's Sarkozy denounces tapping of his phones

PARIS—Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is comparing investigators who tapped his phones during a campaign funding probe to the secret police in the old East Germany.

Conservative Sarkozy spoke out publicly about the phone-tapping for the first time in an essay in Friday's Le Figaro.

The phone-tapping has raised questions over the limits between investigative needs and the privacy of individuals. Conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer were among those tapped.

Sarkozy, considering a political comeback, said anyone who calls him "should know they are being listened to" and compared the situation to a film about the Stasi police in Communist-era East Germany or a dictator spying on opponents.

Socialist Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called the comparison "intolerable," saying in a statement that all citizens under investigation are treated equally.